Seth Ravenshade
Seth Ravenshade is a demi-angel and the male narrator of Those Who Fly. He is a student at Caelum Academy and the son of Archangel Azrael, the Angel of Death. Physical Description Seth has somewhat long black hair that is chronically windswept. His eyes are deep black. He has a thin face and he is very pale. He resembles his father's preferred humanoid form, though he is lean and strong like most demi-angels and does not seem quite as skeletal. He is about 5'8," average hight for a demi-angel. He has solid black wings (which are uncommon), and a sixteen foot wingspan. Personality Seth is often insecure, and he feels a need to prove himself. He’s very observant and socially aware, and he can be manipulative. He’s reluctant to place his trust in anybody, but he is very loyal once he does. He tends to be laid back, slightly smug, and sassy. He’s easily angered, but he has a sensitive side that comes out when he helps his father. Like Ember, he is very passionate, intense, and determined, but he takes a cooler approach and is not as impulsive as she is. He is very intuitive. Seth has a particular affinity for the supernatural and the occult. He loves studying chaos magic and is interested in the idea of reality manipulation. He also loves necromancy and the spirit world. Seth enjoys anything that can give him an adrenaline rush, which is why he likes fighting and flying through storms for fun. Magical Powers and Abilities Necromancy: 'Necromancy is Seth's main magical art. He communicates with ghosts and other kinds of spirits, sometimes gathering information from them, or using them for his own purposes (such as combat). Seth is a very adept necromancer, one of the best in the school. Seth's variant of necromancy makes extensive use of sigils. '''Astral Projection: '''Seth is accomplished at traveling the Astral world outside of his body. * '''Psychopomp: '''Occasionally, Seth will assist his father as a psychopomp and take souls to the afterlife. Therefore, he is one of the only mortals to have traveled all the way to afterlife planes while still in a living body. '''Chaos Magic: '''Seth becomes interested in a kind of magic known as Chaos Magic. It can allow the user to bend the very nature of reality to their will using the energy of chaos and the Void. Because he is attracted by anything involving sigils and the occult, Seth finds this idea fascinating. Chaos Magic is very versatile, unpredictable, and dangerous, so Seth tries to keep his study of it secret from Alistair, but attracts his concerns anyway. '''Combat: ' Seth is skilled in combat and often pragmatic, easily switching between magical and melee combat. He fights mainly using aggressive magic and his blade, Ravenheart, a dagger than can magically convert itself into a sword. He is also capable of quickly drawing magic circles and sigils in battle, which, although they temporarily leave him vulnerable to attack, summon spirits to aid him. * '''Sigil Blast: '''Seth can conjure a sigil that sends a burst of purple energy at his target, * '''Sigil '''Shield: '''A different sigil will create a glasslike dome of violet energy around Seth that will protect him from attacks. * '''Auric Shield: '''Another kind of shield that Seth can manifest using his aura, which appears cream-colored. * '''Spectral Energy Manipulation: '''Seth can absorb energy from ghosts and other spirits that he summons, and utilize it to enhance his own powers. He can use it to create phantom constructs, expel it from his wand or fingertips as green rays, balls, or bursts, and summon a ghostly, life-draining mist. * '''Feather Projectiles: '''Like most Powers, Seth can magically "sharpen" the tips of his feathers and fire them at enemies. * '''Shock Wave: '''Seth can generate a shock wave by beating his wings, or a more powerful one by slamming into the ground. '''Summoning: '''Seth can summon entities from other planes, mainly ghosts, but he is capable of summoning almost any kind of spirit. '''Aura Vision: '''Seth can also see auras, which is not a particularly unusual ability, nor a common one. Seeing Ember's aura is the first thing that makes him think she might be a demi-Seraph. '''Shapeshifting: '''Seth can transform into a raven at will. Relationships Parents He loves his human parents, Louis and Mary Mortimer. He also loves and admires his angel father, Azrael. He sees Azrael relatively frequently, and is deeply proud of being his son. He desperately wants the opportunity to contact the soul of his dead mother, but hasn’t received permission. Alistair Skyspire Seth and Alistair have mutual respect for each other, though each finds the other irritating at times. Seth thinks Alistair is a bit too controlling, but Alistair is afraid that Seth's chaotic nature will lead him down the wrong path. Seth is aware of Alistair's painful history, which is why he begrudgingly accepts Alistair's commands. Friends Hector Nighthex and Ansel Dusklight are Seth’s roommates, and they’re inseparable friends. Hector is often willing to go along with Seth's guile and mischevious plans, and sometimes acts a bit like a sidekick. Ansel is more like Seth's conscience and tries to get him to think practically. Seth cares deeply about both his friends and feels more confident with them by his side. Libitina Shademourn is also Seth’s childhood friend. He often goes to her when he needs to talk about deep or emotional subjects (before he starts doing the same with Ember). He still calls her "Libby," which doesn't help rumours that he's romantically interested in her. He has a sense of kinship with her, and he maintains a close, though completely platonic relationship with her. Azalor Azalor became interested in Seth because of his relationship to Alistair. Azalor seeks to corrupt Seth, believing that his rebellious attitude, disrespect for authority, and love for chaos make him more like a demon than an angel (Azalor believes that angels are spirits that enforce order, when they actually work to maintain balance.) He doesn't realize that Seth is truly too good to fall. Seth has fought Azalor quite a few times. Ember Seth finds Ember just as compelling as she finds him. He first becomes interested in Ember because of her unique magical powers, and comes to love her for her passion and relentless determination. He finds her defiant nature inspiring. Ember's sheer boldness sometimes catches Seth off-guard, but he trusts her enough to open up to her about his life, which he never does with anyone (except Libitina). He shares and admires her fighting spirit and her daredevil streak. He enjoys fighting and flying with her, and being with her makes him happy.